Portable ladder-like scaffold.



No, 882,161. PATENTED MAR. 17, 1908. L. T. OLIVE.

PORTABLE LADDER LIKE SGAFFOLD.

APPLICATION I'ILI I D JULY I 1907.

2 SHEETS-411E111 1.

l 0 if Q 1 p 5 By A TTOR/VEYS L. T. OLIVE. PORTABLE LADDER LIKESGAFFOLD.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 1, 1907.

No. 882,161. P ATENTED MAR. 17, 1908.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

LEONIDAS T. OLIVE, OF SARASOTA, FLORIDA.

POBTAB LE LADDER-LIKE SCAFFOLD.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 17, 1908.

Application filed. July 1, 1907. Serial No. 381,794.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEONIDAS T. OLIVE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Sarasota, in the county of Manatee and State of Florida,have invented a new and useful Portable Ladder-Like Scaffold, of whichthe following is a specification.

The present invention relates to improvements 1n portable structures ofthe character employed in gathering fruit from trees, painting, and forother purposes where it is necessary to reach altitudes that areinaccessible without the aid of a ladder, and it has for its object toprovide an improved device of this character that is capable of beingmanipulated easily for placing it in position, such as adjacent to atree or house, and it is constructed in sections that are adjustableangularly relatively to one another in order that they may be arrangedaccording to the object adjacent to which the ladder is to be placed,the sections being capable of arrangement at several sides of a tree sothat the picking of the fruit may proceed simultaneously.

To these and other ends, the invention comprises the various novelfeatures of construction and combination and arrangement of parts, whichwill be hereinafter more fully described and pointed out particularly inthe ap ended claims.

11 the accompanying drawing :Figure 1 is a perspective view of aportable ladder-like structure made in accordance with the presentinvention, the ladder-like sections being shown in such relation thatthey are capable of partially surrounding a tree. Fig. 2 is a similarview showing the ladder-like sections arranged in alinement, adaptingthe device for the purposes of a scaffold for painting or similarstructure. Figs. 3 and 4 are detail views of the main conductor throughwhich fruit may descend to a suitable receptacle.

Corresponding parts in the several -figures are indicated throughout bysimilar characters of reference.

The structure shown in the present embodiment of the invention comprisesgenerally a frame composed, in the present instance, of an intermediateyoke-shaped section 1 having a pair of hinge knuckles 2 and 3 arrangedon the ends thereof, the axes of the knuckles being arranged vertically,and the central portion of the yoke is su ported in the present instanceby means of a caster 4 adapted to rest upon the ground to support aportion I of the ladder and having a vertical journal portion 5cooperating with a bearing bracket 6 bolted or otherwise secured to theyoke. A pair of horizontally adjustable arms 7 and 8 also form a part ofthe frame, these arms being provided with hinge members or knuckles 9and 10 to cooperate with the knuckles 2 and 3 of the intermediatesection of the frame, and the outer ends of the arms are provided withbearings 11 and 12 to receive the vertical journal portions 13 and 14 ofa pair of casters 15 and 16, the several casters supporting the framebeing capable of rotation on a vertical axis in order that the frame maybe easily moved in any direction without the necessity of lifting it.

In practice, it is preferable to limit the range of movement of theadjustable arms in order that the supporting casters may be sufficientlyseparated at all times to insure the requisite stability for thestructure, the limiting devices or stops shown in the present instancecomprising a pair of rods 1.7, 18 having hooks 19 and 20 thereon todetachably engage a pair of eyes 21 and 22 arranged at the oppositesides of the yoke, the opposite ends of the rods being pivotallyattached to a pair of slides 23 and 24 which operate longitudinally onguides 25 and 26 secured to the arms 7 and 8, respectively, set screws27 and 28 serving to lock the slides in fixed relation on the respectiveguides and thereby retain the arms in any desired angular relation, sothat the arms cannot turn accidentally. The superstructure is composed,in the pres ent instance, of a set of ladder-like sections, the centeror intermediate section 29 having its lower end supported on a crosspiece 30 which connects the free ends of the yoke arms and it is rigidlysupported in upright position by means of a pair of diagonal braces 31and 32 which extend from the yoke arm to the said lad der-like section,and forward tilting of the intermediate section is prevented by the staywires or rods 33 and 34 which are attached at their lower ends to theyoke shaped portion of the frame and are connected at their upper endsto the upper portion of the ladder-like section.

In order to facilitate shipment or storage of the device, it ispreferable to detachably mount the ladder-like sections on thesupporting frame, and to this end the lower ends of the rails 35 and 36of the central section the hinge members of the sections are prefer areslotted, as at 37, so as to detachably engage the cross piece 30, andthebraces and stays are preferably provided with bolts and hooks,respectively, as shown, whereby they may be detachably secured inposition, the sections being capable of removal and are adapted to foldtogether in a compact space.

The outer sides of the central section are provided with hinge members33 and 39 to cooperate with the hinge members 40 and 41, respectively,of the relatively adjustable sec tions 32 and 33, the axes of the hingescon necting the ladder-like sections being arranged substantially inalinement with those connecting the frame sections, in order that therelatively adjustable sections may turn With the adjustable arm of thesupporting frame, the outer ends of the relatively adj ustable sectionsbeing operatively connected to and supported upon the adjustable framearms by means of the legs 44 and 45, the latter being preferablyslotted, as shown at 46 and 47, to detachably fit over the upper edgesof the respective arms and frame, and

ably connected by detachable or removable pins or pintles 48 and 49whereby the adjustable sections maybe lifted to disengage the slottedends of the supporting legs thereon from the arms of the supportingframe, and the lifting movement will serve to disengage the hingemembers connecting the sections.

When the apparatus is employed in gathering fruit, it is preferable toprovide means for conducting the fruit to a suitable receptacle on theground in a manner that will insure the fruit from injury or bruising,and in the present instance a pair of conductors 50 and 51 are providedwhich are secured preferably to the central or relatively stationarysection and provided with branches 52 and 53 arranged at differentelevations and adapted to receive interchangeably the branch tubes 54and 55, the latter being attached to the conductors at differentelevations according to the point where the operator is working, thelower ends of the conductors being suitably arranged to discharge into areceptacle. The receptacle employed in the present instance is composedof a diaphragm of flexible material, such as burlap, or the like, itbeing stretched across the bottom of the yokeshaped section of the frameto form a soft bottom 56 on which the fruit is discharged by theconductors. The ladder-like sections are provided with steps orplatforms 57 of a suitable width to enable the operator to standthereon, and at intervals between the platforms are provided guardswhich are arranged to engage the body of the operatorpreferably at aboutthe waist line to prevent falling, the guard shown in the present injstance being composed ofrods or pieces of relatively heavy wire 58stretched between the upright rails of the ladder-like sections l andapproximately midway between two adjacent platforms, the latter beingspaced ordinarily about seven feet apart.

In practice, the structure is transported from one place to another oncasters and, when it is desirable to place the structure in position forgathering fruit from a tree, the central section of the scaffold ismoved into position at one side of the tree and, by loosening the setscrews 27 and 28, the adjustable arms of the supporting frame may beturned until the adjustable sections are brought into engagement withthe sides of the tree, the parts being locked in such relation bytightening the set screws. The branch tubes are attached to theconductors according to the elevation at which the operator is Working,the fruit picked being deposited into the branch tubes and from thelatter it enters the vertical conductor, discharging from the lower endthereof into the receptacle formed in the bottom of the frame.

Any suitable form of conductor may, be employed, although it isgenerally preferable to employ one such as that shown in Figs. 3 and 4,which is composed of a pair of strips of canvas or other flexiblematerial 60 and 61 sewed together by a pair of Zigzag seams or rows ofstitching 62 and 63 forming a tortuous passage for retarding the fruitin descending the conductor, so that liability of bruising is avoided.

In using the structure as a scaffold for painting or like operations,the conductors and cooperating parts, of course, may be omitted, and theladder-like sections may be adjusted either in alinement or in any otherdesired relation by suitably turning the arms of the supporting frame,the stops cooperating to prevent accidental shifting of the ladder-likesections.

The present invention provides a structure composed of a plurality ofladder-like sections that may be readily moved from place to place andarranged in any desired relation to an object, the adjustable feature ofthe sections enabling the structure to be placed in close relation witha considerable portion of the object so that frequent shifting of the 1structure is avoided.

What is claimed is 1. In a structure of the character described, thecombination with a supporting frame, of a set of ladder-like sectionsmounted thereon and adjustable angularly relatively to one another so asto lie in different vertical planes.

2. In a structure of the character described, the combination With asupporting frame, of a set of ladder-like sections pivotally connectedto turn on vertical arms.

3. In a structure of the character described, the combination with asupporting frame embodying an intermediate section, and relativelyadjustable sections pivotally connected thereto, of an intermediateladderlike section rigidly mounted on the intermediate section of theframe, and adjustable l ladder-like sections pivotally connected to theintermediate section and operatively connected to the adjustable framesections.

4. In a structure of the character described, the combination with asupporting frame embodying an intermediate section, and a pair of armspivotally attached thereto, of a central ladder-like section rigidlymounted on the intermediate section of the supporting frame, and a pairof adjustable ladder-like sections pivotally attached to the centralladder-like section on axes substantially in alinement with the axes ofadjustment of the frame arms and operatively con nected to the latter.

5. In a structure of the character described, the combination with asupporting frame embodying an intermediate portion and a pair of armspivotally connected thereto, of a central ladder-like section detachablymounted on the intermediate frame sec tion, a pair of adjustableladder-like sections foldable relatively to the central ladder-likesection and det'achably connected to the said arms of the frame.

6. In a structure of the character described, the combination with asupporting frame embodying an intermediate section and arms pivotallyattached thereof, of ladder-like sections mounted on the said sectionand arms of the frame, and means for limiting the relative movement ofthe arms.

7. In a structure of the character described, the combination with asupporting frame embodying an intermediate section and arms pivotallyattached thereto, of ladder-like sections mounted on the said sectionand arms of the frame, and devices for securing the frame arms indifferent adjusted positions relatively to the intermediate section.

8. In a structure of the character described, the combination with asupporting frame embodying an intermediate section and arms pivotallyattached thereto, of ladder-like sections mounted on the said sectionand arms of the frame, a guide extending longitudinally of each arm, aslide mounted to operate therein, a rod attached to the intermediatesection of the frame and its respective slide and a device carried bythe slide for locking the latter in different positions of adjustmentlongitudinally of its respective guide.

9. In a structure of the character described, the combination with asupporting frame embodying an intermediate section, and a pair of armspivotally connected thereto, of a set of ladder-like sections mounted onthe arms and intermediate section of the frame, and casters on theintermediate section and the arms of the frame.

10. In a structure of the character described, the combination with asupporting frame embodying an intermediate yokeshaped section havinghinge knuckles on its ends, and a pair of arms having knucklescooperating with those of the intermediate section, and a cross barconnecting the ends of the yoke-shaped section, of ladder-like sectionsmounted on the cross bar of the intermediate section and ontheadjustable arms.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aflixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

LEONIDAS T. OLIVE.

I/Vitnesses:

ERNEST J. BRIGAT, C. V. S. WlLsoN.

